A Place to Go

A whale shark feeds on zooplankton drawn to the surface by the lights of fishing boats. Photo by Thomas Peschak

Djibouti is a small slice of Africa that snuggles in between Somalia and Eritrea, just where the Red Sea blends into the Indian Ocean. This makes the Gulf of Tadjoura a diverse and unique habitat where marine life is prolific. Those brave enough to enter the oil-black night-time sea, could have a staggering encounter with the world’s largest fish. This is the only known location where juvenile whale sharks gather and the only place where they are regularly documented feeding at night. This 2.5-metre animal was photographed feeding on zooplankton that had been drawn to the surface by the lights of small fishing boats.

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A whale shark feeds on zooplankton drawn to the surface by the lights of fishing boats. Photo by Thomas Peschak